Kids need routine, right? I’ve shared the importance of routine for kids before. Eating dinner together as a family is part of our routine. And the kids need it.
We have always eaten as a family. It’s something that’s never been an option not to. We make it a priority in our family and we always eat dinner together.
So when Vanity Fair® Napkins asked me to help promote their movement of #TakeBacktheTable, I was on it! I know the importance of it and we live it. I think every family should eat together. This life is crazy, we need to take a moment to just be together.
“We’re on a mission to make your family stronger by helping you eat together more often.”
But honestly, we need to take advantage of that moment together better than we do. Life is crazy and hectic and sometimes my kids and husband get the brunt of my frustration during dinnertime because it is one of the only moments we are all together.
When I took the #TakeBacktheTable pledge, I made family table rules as well.
Our Family Dinner Rules:
- No tech at any meal. At breakfast I have a hard time not checking in on Facebook first thing. Now, the phone is being put away.
- No negativity. I often use dinner time as a time to get things off my shoulders and vent to my husband about things. My kids don’t need to hear that. It can wait.
- Meaningful conversation. I am using conversation starters to ignite conversation in a meaningful way at the table.
Where am I digging up these conversation starters?
I am not one to be able to come up with these things on my own! So I went-a-searching to find loads of family time conversation starters.
I try not to overwhelm my family with these though. I often feel like these can be loaded questions and my kids are young still, so I pick through and choose the ones that I think are best fitting for my family.
Dinner Conversations Starters for Families to have Meaningful Conversation:
Here’s my giant list of conversation starters for families, read my favorite conversation starter and click through to find many more family conversation starters for dinner!
Ask the kids about school:
Did you get frustrated with anything at school today? from Questions to Ask Kids After School
Who did you sit by at lunch? from Questions to Ask Kids to Connect After School at Creative Family Fun
What color shoes was your teacher wearing? from 10 Specific Questions to Ask About School from A Mom with a Lesson Plan
Where is the coolest place at the school? from 25 Ways to Ask “How was School Today?” Without Asking That at The Huffington Post
What made you laugh today? from Six Questions to get your Kids Talking After School at My Life & Kids
When were you frustrated today? from 25 Great Questions to Ask Your Kids After School (free printable) at The Dating Divas
Did you have a happy day or a sad day? from 6 Preschool Conversation Starters (free printable) from Love & Marriage Blog
Download our School Conversation Starter Cards here.
Try some of these fun conversation starters:
Would you rather have bright blue hair or bright blue feet? from 100 Would You Rather Questions for Kids (free printable) at The Measured Mom
Knock, knock. Who’s there? Avenue. Avenue who? Avenue knocked on this door before? from Knock, Knock Jokes for Kids at A Mom with a Lesson Plan
What is your favorite silly face to make? Silly sound? from Conversation Starters at The Family Dinner Project
If you could, what two animals would you combine? from 50 Questions to Ask Kids (free printable) at Crayon Freckles
If you could have any super power, what would it be and why? from 150 Conversation Starters for Family Discussions at Aha! Parenting
Also try 5 Classic Conversation Games from Creative with Kids
Get to know each other (again, or better):
If you could pick your own name, what would it be? from 50 Family Dinner Conversation Starters at Six Sisters Stuff
What things don’t boys understand about girls? from Kid Conversation Starters (free printable) at All Pro Dad
Can you guess three things that annoy me? from Guess 3 About Me Game at Creative with Kids
What would you do if school was cancelled today and you could do anything you wanted? from Family Conversation Starters (free printable) at Beauty and Bedlam
Do I ever embarrass you? from 150 Conversation Starters for Family Discussions at Aha! Parenting
Tell us what makes you happy! from Fall & Classic Family Conversation Starters (free printables) at Happiness is Homemade
What is something you want to learn to do? from 31 Dinnertime Conversation Starters (free printable) at Mess for Less
Describe your perfect day from The Key Jar. 48 Questions to Ask Kids (free printable) at Momastery
Say one thing you like about the person on your right from Conversations Starters to Get to Know Your Kids (free printable) at Creative with Kids
What is something you’d like someone to tell YOU “thank you” for? from Thankful Conversation Starters
Download our Thankful Conversation Starter Cards here.
And a fun way to spice it up is to make these into Conversation Starter Stones (free printable) from Where the Smiles Have Been! So cute!
Since taking the pledge, my phone is set aside more (not perfect yet, but doing much better at breakfast with the kids). But the most exciting part is to see the conversations flowing through meals and not turning into a fight about food or making too many noises. It’s a much more positive atmosphere now which makes it all worthwhile.
I challenge you to do the same and #TakeBacktheTable!
- Comment below to take the pledge to #TakeBacktheTable
- Share it on Facebook or Twitter (use @VanityFairNapkins and #TakeBacktheTable)
I took the pledge to #takebackthetable to show how important it is to spend more time with family at meal time.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Vanity Fair® Napkins. The opinions and text are all mine.
Ultimate List of Conversation Starters for Every Family on handsonaswegrow.com
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